Former Cameroon and Arsenal defender Lauren is not optimistic about African teams chances in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal and Nigeria will be heading to Russia this summer to represent Africa in the World Cup. Lauren is doubtful about the five teams and believes they won’t go past the quarter-finals.

“I could say Africa will be in the semis, we’re going to win, but that’s not the reality,” the former Arsenal man told BBC Sport. “To be honest with you I can’t see any of them going further than the quarter-finals.”

Lauren represented the Indomitable Lions at the 1998 and the 2001 World Cups. Internationally, he managed to win two African Cup of Nations with his national team.

“This is my honest opinion because we are still one step behind the top teams,” he added. “I can’t see them challenge the Germans, Argentina, Spain or Brazil. They are not on that level.”

One of the most notable African teams in the World Cup were surely Cameroon in 1990 led by legendary Roger Milla as the team managed to reach the quarter-finals. In addition to Senegal’s surprising run in 2002 beating champions France and also reaching the quarter-finals.

Ghana’s 2010 team were on the edge of making history becoming the first African team to reach the World Cup’s semi-finals before missing a penalty in the dying minutes.

“I don’t like to lie to people. I am very honest, I speak my mind because we don’t do things the right way.

“It happens in football, it happens in so many other African societies.

“Politics is in my blood but I wouldn’t like to really get into politics, but maybe to try to help African football with the knowledge I have got about business and how to do things in a structural way.”